Check Out This List of Rejected Names for the Xbox!

Microsoft recently unveiled its Xbox One at this year’s E3, the third device to carry the Xbox name. But, in an interview with Edge, Seamus Blackley revealed it could have turned out very differently. Blackley, one of the founding members of the original Xbox project, gave insight into the naming process and a laundry list of names that were discussed for what became the Xbox

“First, there were our code names, which were WEP – ‘Windows Entertainment Project’ – designed to make Microsoft executives comfortable, Midway – ‘Midway between a PC and a console or ‘Battle of Midway’ – you decide – and DirectX Box, which was shortened to xbox in email very early on,” Blackley shared.

Blackley also said he received an email with a huge list of possible names that were all “crap”. “Phase four was a battle between us and the naming guys, when we decided we just wanted to risk it and go with Xbox – since that’s what everyone called it anyway – and they wanted, for some unknowable reason, to call it ‘11-X’ or ‘Eleven-X’. Finally, we told them no, but still had to decide: X-Box, xBox, XboX, Xbox, X-box…”

Check out the whole interview for some laughs and an interesting look at the branding process of a new console, and check out the whole list of names below. Judging from this list, I think we can all be glad the team stuck with Xbox!